Southampton have cashed in on several exciting talents over recent seasons.
Last year, both Tyler Dibling and Mateus Fernandes would bank the Saints a weighty £78m, as the raw winger joined Everton, while his midfield teammate relocated to West Ham United.
The most the South Coast club have ever managed to sell a player for is the £75m mark, when Virgil Van Dijk left St. Mary's to further his Premier League career with Liverpool in 2018.
Behind the Dutch colossus is Romeo Lavia, with the one-time Manchester City starlet somewhat forgotten about now on the South Coast for his silky midfield exploits, despite costing Chelsea a whopping £58m to obtain in 2023.
Why Lavia cost Chelsea £58m
Chelsea were burning through high-profile signings like nobody's business when the £58m move for Lavia was confirmed, having forked out an outrageous £115m for Moises Caicedo.
Clearly, the Blues saw a lot of promise in the Belgian during his one and only Premier League season with the Saints, despite the South Coast club tasting the bitter pill of relegation, with Lavia only 19 years of age and sticking out.
It was clear straight away from his stylish performances that he was a former alumni of the esteemed Manchester City academy, with an 86% pass accuracy averaged per Premier League contest, despite Southampton regularly struggling in contests.
Journalist Jacob Tanswell would even go as far as to note that the Brussels-born sensation's calmness with the ball at his feet was "frankly ridiculous."
Therefore, while £58m is a lot of money to pluck out of thin air for a youngster, Chelsea would have viewed the move as a wise investment for the future.
Unfortunately, Lavia has been riddled with constant injury issues since swapping St. Mary's for Stamford Bridge, with an eye-watering 101 clashes missed through frequent visits to the treatment room, over his three campaigns to date in West London.
Journalist Tony Cudworth has been right to point out that patience must be thin on Chelsea's end now when it comes to their high-profile recruit, with only four Premier League starts handed to him last season, piling the misery even higher.
Shea Charles will be praying he doesn't fall victim to a similar fall from grace if he leaves Southampton behind this summer, as he eyes up his own pricey switch to Leeds United.
Shea Charles must avoid Lavia's fate
Much like Lavia, Charles has managed to cut his teeth in the senior game with the Saints after coming through the ranks at the Etihad as a wide-eyed youngster.
With six goal contributions under his belt last season in the Championship, and the 22-year-old starting to become well-known as a classy midfield talent for his nation of Northern Ireland, his next natural step is to make a name for himself in the Premier League, with Leeds touted as an interested party.
It could cost the Whites around the £30m area to win the services of the well-rounded number 24, which is a risky move to sign off on, considering Charles has only ever been exposed to the bright lights of Premier League action once.
There will also be a lingering worry on Charles' end that he will be swallowed whole by a move to Elland Road like Lavia at Stamford Bridge, with the gulf in quality between the second tier and the top-flight extreme.
He will still be eager to spread his wings and prove himself, though, with the Manchester-born battler going down as another major sale on Southampton's end, if Leeds get a £30m move off the ground.
Charles will just hope he follows the encouraging career path of Fernandes, who is being eyed up by Manchester United this summer, rather than succumbing to the same depressing downward route of Lavia.
Add us as a preferred source on Google